Welcome!

This body of work began sometime in the mid 1990's, as an experiment, seeing if I could adhere a dress to a canvas and create a painting over all the textures. "Dress painting" is a term I came up with to explain these when I simply couldn't think of anything better. Over the years they have evolved, with new elements of collage being added. Dress patterns, photographs, and embroidery all appear from time to time, as well as lino block prints, rubber stamps and gold leaf. I will use this space to explore the beginnings of this series, as well as showing my latest work. If the piece is available for sale you'll find the price at the bottom. Free shipping in the U.S. Contact me at kallencole@aol.com to purchase.

Friday, February 6, 2015

One of the questions I am asked most often at shows is "where do you get your ideas?" And the answer always escapes me, I fumble it. Sometimes I actively hunt ideas, I used to buy art books and visit galleries regularly. But, I find that rarely works for me, although I love the distraction. More often than not, just staying in the studio and working on something keeps ideas flowing.

But they really start popping when I am presented with new challenges. Fewer shows on the road, but more gallery show this year have stirred things up a bit. As has the opportunity for collaboration with other artists, and getting to work in new media.

I don't know how far these new ideas will go, if they will push a new body of work into the forefront, or just be pulled into the arena that I work in now. But I am enjoying this time of experimenting.

Puppet studies, I'll make more, there will be puppets sometime, somewhere in my work. I think.

In progress. I love this piece, and then I thoroughly dislike it. Then I see it in a new way, and like it again. That happens sometimes. The tricky part is to know when to quit when it stalls.

And, I thought I would make a few fun Valentines this year, like this one.

"I love you bonehead"

That's it for now, I'll be heading to Miami next weekend for the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Come on down!

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About Me

I have two blogs which I try to tend to regularly, Dresspaintings, and (Elle)ements. The dresspaintings are "the big girls" multi paneled mixed media paintings, and the (Elle)ements are little elements of the big pieces. 4" square canvases containing fragments and bits of stories from "the big girls." I hope you enjoy them all!